Universal postpones release of 'Jurassic Park 4'

A still from Universal Pictures' original "Jurassic Park."… (Universal City Studios…)

Hey dinosaur fans: You're going to have to wait a bit longer to see some new creatures from the paleolithic era storm your theaters. Universal Pictures said Wednesday it has postponed its release date on "Jurassic Park 4," which had been set for June 2014.

"Jurassic Park 4" is the second installment in the series to be made by someone other than Steven Spielberg, who directed the first two films. Production on the movie, which is being directed by Colin Trevorrow, the helmer of last year's indie hit "Safety Not Guaranteed," was supposed to begin this summer. Spielberg is producing.

The studio did not indicate when production would begin or what specifically is causing the delay. Nor did Universal announce a new release date.

The studio issued a short statement that said, in part, "We could not be more excited about the vision that Colin Trevorrow has created for this film, and we look forward to watching as he and the producers create another great chapter in this franchise's storied history."

The screenplay was written by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver.

"Jurassic Park" hit theaters in 1993, and since then the three-film series has grossed close to $2 billion worldwide.

In April, Universal re-released the original "Jurassic Park" in 3-D, and it has grossed $44 million to date. Internationally, it hasn't fared as well, earning $8.4 million in 18 territories. It has yet to open in China, but has been approved to do so.